Ethan Coetzee Family Disputes Findings Linking Him to Cameron Waldeck-Cooks’ Death

• The family of Ethan Coetzee broke their silence after preliminary post-mortem findings linked him to Cameron Waldeck-Cook's death
• Cameron's brother Ethan publicly accused his sister's partner of murder in an emotional Instagram post
• Police opened a murder case following post-mortem results, though no person has been formally charged

The family of Ethan Coetzee, 19, has publicly disputed claims that he was responsible for the death of his girlfriend, Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, 17, whose bodies were discovered at the Waterval Self-Catering Holiday Home near Sabie on Monday, 3 August 2026.

Cameron's father, Graham Coetzee, found the couple inside the lodge following a family hiking trip at the game reserve. Cameron was a Grade 11 learner at St Stithians Girls College, while Ethan had completed his matric in 2025.

Coetzee family contests preliminary findings

In a formal statement, Ethan's family said there was "no sign of an altercation" and that he "sustained no injuries consistent with a struggle." The family also noted that the couple appeared happy the evening before their deaths, describing Ethan as "kind, gentle and loyal," particularly in his relationship with Cameron.

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Police initially treated the deaths as an inquest with no suspected foul play. That changed after post-mortem results, which, together with the opinion of an independent forensic pathologist, indicated that Cameron died from strangulation or suffocation. Ethan's death is believed to have been a suicide. A murder case has since been opened, though no individual has been formally charged and the investigation remains ongoing.

Watch the reel below on Instagram.

Cameron's brother calls it murder

Cameron's brother, also named Ethan, took a different position entirely. In an Instagram post that circulated widely online. No person has been legally identified as Cameron's killer, and the South African Police Service has not publicly confirmed Ethan Coetzee's role. The investigation continues.

Meanwhile, a rugby clip of a young St Stithians College player has been resurfacing across social media following the deaths of Ethan and Cameron. The TikTok video, originally posted in June 2023 by the account @saints16a, shows match footage of what appears to be a school's rugby fixture. The clip was captioned "U16A flank Ethanan Coetzee breaking ribs."

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Student dies after collapsing during rugby match

Briefly News previously reported that Paul Klaasen, an 18-year-old first-year student at Akademia's Paarl campus, collapsed during an informal touch rugby game on Monday evening

Staff, fellow students and emergency services responded to the scene but were unable to save the BEd student

Source: Briefly News